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Country Risk Assessment – Georgia “Prosecution Services”

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Country Risk Assessment – Georgia “Prosecution Services” Eastern Partnership-Council of Europe Facility Project on “Good Governance and Fight against Corruption” Activity 1.4: “Risk Assessment: Typologies of underlying causes of corruption” Technical Paper Country risk assessment – Georgia “Prosecution Services” prepared by Tilman Hoppe, Project Long-Term Adviser with input from José Igreja Matos, Vice-President of the International Association of Judges, Council of Europe Expert December 2013 ECCU-EaP-9/2013 Contents 1 SUMMARY ............................................................................................................................ 4 2 RELEVANCE OF THE TOPIC...................................................................................................... 7 2.1 Corruption and corruption perception ......................................................................................................... 7 2.1.1 Georgia ............................................................................................................................... 7 2.1.2 Region ................................................................................................................................ 8 2.2 Recent and future assessments on Georgia ................................................................................................ 8 2.3 Limited international research and standards ............................................................................................... 9 3 SCOPE OF THE ASSIGNMENT ................................................................................................. 10 4 BACKGROUND ..................................................................................................................... 11 4.1 Legal framework ............................................................................................................................... 11 4.2 Functions ........................................................................................................................................ 11 4.3 Staff and organisation ......................................................................................................................... 11 4.4 Main reforms .................................................................................................................................... 12 5 INDEPENDENCE .................................................................................................................. 12 5.1 External .......................................................................................................................................... 12 5.2 Internal ........................................................................................................................................... 14 6 CAREER ............................................................................................................................. 14 6.1 Appointment .................................................................................................................................... 14 6.2 Status and salary .............................................................................................................................. 14 6.3 Appraisal and promotion ...................................................................................................................... 15 6.4 Dismissal ........................................................................................................................................ 15 7 INTEGRITY .......................................................................................................................... 16 7.1 General legal framework ...................................................................................................................... 16 7.2 Conflicts of interest ............................................................................................................................ 16 7.3 Gifts .............................................................................................................................................. 17 7.4 Asset declarations ............................................................................................................................. 18 7.5 Code of Conduct ............................................................................................................................... 18 8 OPERATIONAL DISCRETION: RISKS OF ABUSE .......................................................................... 18 8.1 Opening of proceedings ...................................................................................................................... 18 8.2 Investigative measures ....................................................................................................................... 19 8.3 Trial .............................................................................................................................................. 19 8.3.1 Weak role and independence of judges ...................................................................................... 19 8.3.2 Adversarial system ............................................................................................................... 20 8.3.3 Balance of powers: lawyers ..................................................................................................... 21 8.3.4 Jury trials ........................................................................................................................... 22 8.4 Plea bargaining ................................................................................................................................. 22 8.4.1 Overview ........................................................................................................................... 22 8.4.2 Freedom of choice ................................................................................................................ 25 8.4.3 Separation of powers: the judiciary ............................................................................................ 26 8.4.4 Checks and balance: the defendant and his/her lawyer .................................................................... 27 8.4.5 Accountability to the victims .................................................................................................... 28 8.4.6 Transparency: sanctions ........................................................................................................ 28 8.4.7 Appeal options .................................................................................................................... 28 8.5 Release from criminal liability ................................................................................................................ 29 9 SUPERVISION OF OTHER AGENCIES ....................................................................................... 30 10 OVERSIGHT ........................................................................................................................ 30 10.1 Complaints management ..................................................................................................................... 30 10.2 Inspection ....................................................................................................................................... 30 10.3 Disciplinary enforcement ..................................................................................................................... 31 2 10.4 Whistleblowers ................................................................................................................................. 31 10.5 Prosecutorial Council .......................................................................................................................... 31 10.6 Transparency and public awareness ....................................................................................................... 32 11 TRAININGS, ASSESSMENTS, AND AWARENESS ......................................................................... 33 12 RECOMMENDATIONS ............................................................................................................ 35 13 ANNEX ............................................................................................................................... 38 13.1 Interviews ....................................................................................................................................... 38 13.2 Law on Prosecution Services (as of 30 May 2013) ....................................................................................... 39 13.3 Code of Prosecutorial Ethics ................................................................................................................. 58 For any additional information please contact: Economic Crime Cooperation Unit This paper has been prepared with the funding Action against Crime Department provided by the European Union. The views DG I - Human Rights and Rule of Law expressed herein can in no way be taken to Council of Europe reflect the official opinion of the European Union F-67075 Strasbourg Cedex and/or of the Council of Europe. Tel +33 3 90 21 4214/Fax +33 3 90 21 5650 Email: [email protected] Web: www.coe.int/eap-corruption 3 1 SUMMARY This Study is the result of a desk review of reports and legislation and a four-day field mission to Tbilisi (23-26 September 2013) interviewing different stakeholders. Given previous and planned future assessments on the prosecution services, in
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